The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will contest 25 races at 21 tracks in 19 states this season. The series will kick off at Daytona International Speedway for the 12th consecutive year as a part of Speed Weeks on the Friday night prior to the Daytona 500, and conclude with Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.
Throughout the year, the series will make stops at legendary tracks such as Darlington, Bristol, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Pocono just to name a few. Four tracks, Martinsville, Nashville, Kentucky, and Texas, will host two events for the series this season.
Several drivers will be looking to de-throne two time Camping World Truck Series Champion Todd Bodine this season, but will have their work cut out for them. Bodine won four races last season, second only to Kyle Busch. He also scored 17 top 5’s and 20 top 10’s en route to his second series title. In addition to the team of Bodine, Germain Racing will field Toyota Tundras for Max Papis, Brendan Gaughan, and Justin Lofton, who will all compete for the series title.
The team that may have the best shot at taking the title away from Bodine in 2011 is Sandusky, Ohio based Thorsport Racing. The Thorsport duo of Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton finished third and fourth in points in 2010 respectively, with Sauter winning at Kansas Speedway. All the major components from last year’s successful season return to Thorsport for 2011 which could help put the Chevrolet Silverado of Sauter or Crafton on the championship stage in Miami in 2011.
One more driver to keep your eye on as a championship contender in 2011 is James Buescher. With his sponsor and crew remaining the same for 2011, look for Buescher to make several trips to victory lane. Buescher will also have Ricky Carmichael back as a teammate along with a third truck for Turner Motorsports that will see drivers Brad Sweet, Justin Allgaier, and Mark Martin share time behind the wheel. “We operate as one big team,” says Buescher. “Having the ability to utilize the assets of both our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series efforts, we feel we are a team that is going to compete for wins week in and week out.”
Another driver who has to be considered a title contender in 2011 is reining Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Austin Dillon. The third generation driver won two races and seven poles while finishing fifth in the final standings last season. The addition of a second truck to the RCR stable with Rookie of the Year contender Joey Coulter will only help Dillon’s efforts as he chases the title in his sophomore season.
The 2011 Raybestos Rookie of the Year class will also be competitive and diverse. In addition to Joey Coulter from Richard Childress Racing, Nelson Piquet will also compete for the Rookie title. The Brazil native and former F-1 star will drive a third truck from Kevin Harvick Incorporated. Other drivers looking to run for the Rookie of the Year title include fourth generation driver Jeffrey Earnhardt, and 2010 Snowball Derby winner Johanna Long.
Devon Holder is a feature writer for SpeedWeekly magazine and SpeedWeekly.net
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
